Atheism in US and UK Newspapers: Negativity about Non-Belief and Non-Believers

Veen, A. Maurits van der; Bleich, Erik

doi:10.3390/rel12050291

Cited by 3 publications

(1 citation statement)

References 59 publications

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“…Notwithstanding the historical origins of the affirmation, therefore, the affirmation appears to be a reliable signal of religious disbelief – and is perceived as such. Given prevailing negative media portrayals of religious disbelievers (van der Veen & Bleich, 2021), coupled with cross‐cultural evidence of moral prejudice against them (Gervais et al, 2017; cf. Moon et al, 2021), this finding should be cause for some concern.…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

‘So Help Me God’? Does oath swearing in courtroom scenarios impact trial outcomes?

McKay

Gervais

Davis

2023

British J of Psychology

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In countries such as Britain and the US, court witnesses must declare they will provide truthful evidence and are often compelled to publicly choose between religious (“oath”) and secular (“affirmation”) versions of this declaration. Might defendants who opt to swear an oath enjoy more favourable outcomes than those who choose to affirm? Two preliminary, pre‐registered survey studies using minimal vignettes (Study 1, N = 443; Study 2, N = 913) indicated that people associate choice of the oath with credible testimony; and that participants, especially religious participants, discriminate against defendants who affirm. In a third, Registered Report study (Study 3, N = 1821), we used a more elaborate audiovisual mock trial paradigm to better estimate the real‐world influence of declaration choice. Participants were asked to render a verdict for a defendant who either swore or affirmed, and were themselves required to swear or affirm that they would try the defendant in good faith. Overall, the defendant was not considered guiltier when affirming rather than swearing, nor did mock‐juror belief in God moderate this effect. However, jurors who themselves swore an oath did discriminate against the affirming defendant. Exploratory analyses suggest this effect may be driven by authoritarianism, perhaps because high‐authoritarian jurors consider the oath the traditional (and therefore correct) declaration to choose. We discuss the real‐world implications of these findings and conclude the religious oath is an antiquated legal ritual that needs reform.

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Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

‘So Help Me God’? Does oath swearing in courtroom scenarios impact trial outcomes?

McKay

Gervais

Davis

2023

British J of Psychology

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Gender-Oriented Analysis of Witchcraft Discourse in Social Media

Jabłońska

2024

Open Theology

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In this article, I delve into the studies of digital religion and female witchcraft, examining Polish witch stereotypes and tracing their evolution from a historical and religious perspective. I portray the harmful image of the persecuted witch within a misogynistic society and contrast it with the contemporary, positive stereotype of an independent, strong, and wise woman. A total of 724 study participants shared their opinions about witches, which were then subjected to sentiment analysis, revealing eight fundamental emotions along with their polarizations. Additionally, gender was juxtaposed with the SD-WISE scale measuring wisdom-related cognitive, reflective, and affective qualities in individuals, including emotional regulation, reflection, empathy, acceptance of diversity, and spirituality. The outcomes indicated that studied women experienced stronger and more positive emotions toward female witches and higher levels of wisdom-related traits typical of witch-related connotations. Male participants demonstrated greater emotional regulation and decisiveness. These findings bear significance for sociologists and researchers exploring gender studies, religion, culture, and the realm of witchcraft.

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Political Bias against Atheists: Talk Shows Targeting Arabic-Speaking Audiences

2023

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Atheism has stirred up controversy in the Arabic-speaking world since the 2011 uprisings, when atheists there began appearing in public. What role does Arabic mass media play in the modern politics of minorities such as atheists, given the heated debates that it hosts on atheism? This question is important because perceptions of media frames influence the behavior of politicians and the electorate—and, as a result, laws that affect minority groups such as atheists. This article focuses on Lebanon, where eight of the nine television channels are affiliated with and funded by religious–political parties. It explores the existence of bias against atheists on televised Lebanese talk shows and news reports (2010–2022). Our findings reveal significant bias (69% overall and over 85% in speaker prominence bias), with channels that promote communal religious practice exhibiting the highest levels. Ultimately, our findings demonstrate that television, as the most influential Lebanese and Arabic mass medium, likely affects the public’s negative perceptions of Arabic-speaking atheists. Our findings reflect the decrease in objectivity in conflict-based media and such media’s poor understanding or intentional disregard for media’s crucial role in building a fair, democratic society.

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Atheism in US and UK Newspapers: Negativity about Non-Belief and Non-Believers

Cited by 3 publications

References 59 publications

‘So Help Me God’? Does oath swearing in courtroom scenarios impact trial outcomes?

‘So Help Me God’? Does oath swearing in courtroom scenarios impact trial outcomes?

Gender-Oriented Analysis of Witchcraft Discourse in Social Media

Political Bias against Atheists: Talk Shows Targeting Arabic-Speaking Audiences

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